March 2023 Carolina's 10,000 P5
PRAISING GOD AND PRAYING FOR “BEAUTIFUL FEET”
The gospel is not just good news. It’s great news! The tone of the Greek for the word literally means this news is “almost too good to be true!”In the very skeptical world that you and I live in, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. But this is not the case with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This news is true and incredible. And Paul reminds us that beautiful are the feet of those who bring this good news to the world.
How then can they call on the one they have not believed in?
And how can they believe in the one of who they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
And how can they preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Romans 10:14-15 NIV
Every year our terrific team of pastors in the Carolina Conference set the tone of leadership for the churches, companies, and groups across North and South Carolina.
I praise God that after all the tabulations were taken, last year (2022) was an historic, banner year in winning hearts for heaven.We crossed the threshold of 1000 baptisms and professions of faith in the vineyard of the Carolina Conference. How we praise God for every precious soul reached through the Holy Spirit by the faithful labors of our pastors, volunteer lay pastors, and volunteer lay leaders who have answered God’s calling to be those “Beautiful Feet!”
Every year we ask our pastors to develop and cast a vision for soul-winning in each of their districts. I am so grateful to the approximately 90% of pastors who’ve taken the time to submit these visions in their STS (Seeking to Save) plans for 2023 that outline efforts by each church entity to serve as those beautiful feet to touch the hearts of the communities they serve with the everlasting gospel heraldedby the first angel of Revelation 14:6
John Maxwell is one of my favorite American authors whohas sold millions of books primarily focusing on leadership. On May 23, 2019, he made the following statement regarding what it means to be a dedicated and effective leader:
“A leader is someone who has a clear vision (knows the way),
follows that vision (goes the way)
and helps others to find the path (shows the way).”
Our pastors are God’s called leaders who have cast a vision to the churches, companies, and groups of their district. As they work together in guiding the ministry of soul-winning and discipleship, please join me in praying for every plan that purpose is dedicated to leading lives to love and live for Jesus.
REMEMBERING AND PRAYING FOR OUR THREE QUINQUENNIAL GOALS (2022-2026)
Our first goal is to develop measurable goals for discipleship. Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus by spending time with Him. This ongoing and sustained personal relationship between a follower of Christ and Jesus as our Master Teacher is the heart of discipleship.
.Our second quinquennial goal is that of intentionally engaging, empowering, and enabling our young adults in the mission of the church. The Administration of the Carolina Conference in partnership with the Youth and Young Adult Ministries Department is making a determined effort to establish a better connection with and ensure the retention and engaged involvement of our young adults in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Our third is a consecrated effort to focus on measurable initiatives to enhance the ministry of Mount Pisgah Academy to enable our campus to reach and maintain a consistent, sustainable enrollment of 125-150 students.
With each issue of our President’s Prayer Partners, we continue to focus on one of our goals and share some of the developments that are helping us focus our attention on accomplishing that goal.
In this issue, we focus on efforts that are underway to continue our connection and engagement with the young adults of our church.
I am so grateful for the addition of Pastor Cris Cazarine Dutra to our Carolina Conference team as our new Director for Young Adult & Public Campus Ministries and the Associate Director for our Youth Department. She is full of creative energy, technical know-how, enthusiasm, and a passionate desire to reach our young adults for Christ and to help them become and remain a vibrant part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The Carolina Conference hasmade a commitment to Young Adult and Campus Ministries. The goal of this department is to provide an inviting, non-threatening environment where young people can meet other Adventists, talk, relax, share experiences, and be fed both physically and spiritually. We want the opportunity to show that we care.
The Officers make it their commitment to schedule and meet with our young adults in at least four locations of the conference annually. These used to be called “Young Adult Summits.”They are now simply referenced as “Let’s Talk.”The purpose behind these get-togethers is to have a brief devotional and engage in a frank conversation about the church –both things we like and things we don’t; how they see social media as a tool for interpersonal connections and connection to the truths we promote, how they wish to be engaged in the life and decision making processes of their local church and the organization structure of the church; a time to get to know our young adults as valued treasures of God’s family and to pray with and for them.
Last month, at NOSOCA Pines Ranch, we created another venue of praise and worship, fellowship,and seminar-styleengagements at our Awaken Young Adult Retreat with our primary speaker, Pastor Juan Martinez from the Florida Conference. His primary focus was ongrowing our churches in a multigenerational ministry. Wewere also so gratefulfor the leadership and involvement of our pastors and guests who made thisa special weekend of renewal and refreshing connections to embrace and appreciate the generations of our young adults who are a vital and vibrant part of God’s family of Seventh-day Adventists in the Carolinas. They included:
Sevenways we can pray together for the young adults of our churches:
Pray that they will seek God in all their choices.
Pray for them to fall in love with the Word of God.
Pray for them in their job situations.
Pray for their relationships.
Pray for them to live lives of purpose.
Pray for them to have a heart for the lost.
Pray for their confidence.
PRAYING FOR OUR PASTORS & THEIR CHURCH DISTRICTS
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, these words of encouragement were penned for our churches: “Ask of me, and I will answer your requests. The promise is made on condition that the united prayers of the church are offered, and in answer to these prayers there may be expected a power greater than that which comes in answer to private prayer. The power given will be proportionate to the unity of the members and their love for God and for one another.” [9MR, 303]
Praying for our pastors is very important. They are serving God and the attacks of the enemy are relentless. They must be covered in our prayers on a daily basis.
Our prayers should be personalized by saying the title of pastor along with their name since they hold a position of sacred trust for God’s remnant church.
Why not pray specifically for our pastors by name using these seven needs and scriptural promises:
Protection from Satan Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
Protection from Our Own Sinful Hearts But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15
Deep Spiritual Encouragement For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. Romans 1:11-12
Wisdom If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5
Doctrinal Faithfulness By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. 2 Timothy 1:14
A Healthy Body But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others, I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27
A Strong Marriage & Family Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church. 1 Timothy 3:2-6
PASTOR | CHURCH(ES); COMPANIES & GROUPS |
Lead Pastor Fletcher SDA Church | |
Pastor Raeford Spanish SDA Church Bladenboro Spanish SDA Company Lumberton Spanish SDA Company Fayetteville Spanish SDA Church Saint Paul’s Spanish SDA Church Shannon Spanish SDA Company Red Springs Hispanic SDA Group | |
Lead Pastor Arden SDA Church | |
Pastor Upward SDA Church Fairview SDA Church Asheville Korean SDA Group | |
Pastor Hendersonville Spanish SDA Church Arden Spanish SDA Company Swannanoa Spanish SDA Company Asheville Hispanic SDA Mission Group | |
Pastor Morganton SDA Church Table Rock SDA Church | |
Part-time Pastor Fletcher SDA Church |
PRAYING FOR OUR DEPARTMENTAL MINISTRIES
As custom, we continue to highlight a department of the conference each month –not so much as to give a full-length report of all that they have been or are accomplishing, but rather to simply uplift all our leaders and their faithful service in their respective ministries in our prayers.
The Ministries of the Carolina Conference are structured under six organizational department functions. They include:
As we move through the Outreach Branch of our ministries,which is divided into the following departmental subdivisions of service, we ask you to uplift our Disaster Response Department:
The Disaster Response Department is under the gifted and dedicated leadership of our director, Elder David Graham, the valued support leadership of his volunteer leader, Steve Still well, and Lisa Moyer serving as the secretary to this department.
Adventist Community Services (ACS) is involved in the four phases of disaster response; preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery to ensure volunteers are matched efficiently with the needs ofa community. The Carolina Conference of Seventh-day Adventists’ACS Disaster ResponseMinistry assists individuals, families, and communities affected by natural and man-made disasters and unforeseen tragedies.
ACSDR (Adventist Community Services Disaster Relief)also engages with local, state,and national government partners, such as Emergency Management Teams and FEMA.
Saturated with the Word
Fundamental Belief #15
Baptism
As the President’s Prayer Partner, we again invite you to truly be a people of the Word. As Seventh-day Adventists, we embrace 28 Fundamental truths that are based on the Bible alone. In December of 2021 we began our third cycle in our emphasis of these vital beliefs that are centered in Christ as our Savior and as our Lord.
Let’s continue to place His Word prayerfully in our hearts each day of this month. I carry a set of these passages with me in my car and repeat them aloud as I drive from place to place. My goal is to prayerfully say one verse at least five times a day for a week, thus embracing the promise of God’s Word – “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11
Repeat these passages over and over till they become a part of your very being. Of course, you can always choose to do more. Prayerfully consider how you can saturate your soul and make His Word a part of your heart every day.
FUNDAMENTAL BELIEF # 15 Baptism By baptism we confess our faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christand testify of our death to sin and of our purpose to walk in the newness of life. Thus, we acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior, become His people, and are received as members by His church. Baptism is a symbol of our union with Christ, the forgiveness of our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit. It is by immersion in water and is contingent on an affirmation of faith in Jesus and evidence of repentance of sin. It follows instruction in the Holy Scriptures and acceptance of their teachings.
A. Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
B. Romans 6:1-4 (NKJV) “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore,we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so,we also should walk in newness of life.”
C. Galatians 3:27-28 (NKJV) “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
D. Colossians 2:12 (KJV) “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faithof the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
PRAY FOR THE MINISTRY OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST EDUCATION
We recently began uplifting our church schools and the principals/head teachers and teachers and staff who are making a profound impact on the hearts and minds of our children and youth across the Carolinas. This month we will be uplifting the largest church school operated by our conference.
Let us pray specifically for:
Our Superintendent of Education, Rick Anderson, and his Associate Superintendent, Cara Simonds, as they lead the ministry of Seventh-day Adventist education for our conference family.We are especially thankful that arrangements were made at Tri-City Christian Academy to finish the school year with a well-known and well-respected teacher as Cara transitioned to the office this month. We welcome her as a vital part of our educational ministry team in the Carolinas.
God’s protective care over our teachers, parents, and students during this school year. We live in a world saturated with the sadness of sin and all the dangers of a devil who seeks harm to God’s children. Pray for the powerful presence of Heavenly angels to surround our schools from the horrors of what we have witnessed in the news such as the tragedy of the school shooting in Uvalde, TX.
Wisdom and happiness in the lives of each of our principals, head teachers, and teachers as they mentor and prepare our students for a life of service on this earth, but most importantly for their citizenship in Heaven.
School boards and church boards as they manage the operation of each of our church schools as centers that are consecrated for the salvation and education of our children and youth.
Tri-City Christian Academy
HighPoint, NC
Dewald Coetzer Principal | Gayle Linde Pre-K & Kindergarten |
Kari Sheldon Bible & Chaplain | Sylvia Wilson Grades 1 & 2 |
Karie Sheffield Business Manager | Julie Primero Grades 3 & 4 |
Joseline Hernandez **Administrative Assistant | Doris Smith Grades 4 & 5 |
Scottie Briggs **Cook | Nuvia Gonzalez Lopez Grade 6 |
Cole Haynes Information Technology | Eric Parker Grades 6-8 |
Chong Kim **Janitor | Elizabeth Somers Grades 6-7 |
Chantell Coetzer **Art | Mary Paulsen-Kerr Grades 7-12 |
Stacey Bracket K-12 Physical Education | Kells Hall Grades 5-12 Mathematics |
Livia Liga K-12 Music | **Locally Funded Employee |
Remembering and Uplifting God’s Anointed Leaders for Seventh-day Adventist Church in Continuous Prayer
Be part of God’s praying church across North America by uplifting these leaders of our church who guide God’s work in these territories of God’s vineyard:
Weekly Focus on Seventh-day Adventist Conference Presidents
